


Tough Love

by Triskellion



Series: NCIS Home Pack [40]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Episode: s04e20 Cover Story, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 03:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13472859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Triskellion/pseuds/Triskellion
Summary: AU but mostly following cannon events: Abby's safe, but Tim has a lot to think about. Having his writing outed was bad enough. To have the team know he based his characters on them might just drive him mad even before Tony kills him.





	Tough Love

Tim leaned back against this chair and stared at his computer screen, wondering how in the hell he was supposed to write this one up. A crazed fan had tried to protect Tim, or rather a character based on Tim, by killing two other people with characters based on them. And Abby. God. How could he ever face her?

Or the team? Tony was going to roast him alive for admitting the characters in his books were (loosely) based on real people including the team.

A thump on his desk drew Tim’s attention to the side. To Tony leaning against the divider after setting a coffee cup on the desk.

“Tough report?” Tony drawled.

Tim checked, but it was just the two of them. Thank goodness for small miracles. 

“What do you think?” Tim snarled. But he picked up the cup. It smelled good. Actually it smelled like—“Vanilla latte?”

“Half-caf, so you can actually get some sleep after this.”

Tim scowled up at Tony. “Why are you being nice to me?”

“Scary, isn’t it?”

“Tony!”

“Because you’ve had a shitty couple of days,” Tony said, tone light, a graceful shrug of his shoulders accompanying the words. “Because I only tease and torment as necessary because we’re pack, and as such I also support when needed.” Tony cocked his head, that challenging look he sometimes shot Gibbs now in his eyes.

Tim tilted his head in return, but more with the bearing of throats than the challenging. He let the silence go on for a moment and took a sip of his coffee. “I expected more teasing and tormenting than support now that Abby is safe.”

“Figured I’d save it for tomorrow.” Tony’s lips curled up as he sipped from his own cup. “Though, you know, you’d have saved yourself a lot of trouble if you’d been upfront.”

“Excuse me?” Tim fought back the urge to stand up, to be on the same level as Tony. He was too damned tired for a fight right now.

“Hiding the book. Lying about basing your characters on us. It left you open.”

“You saying you wouldn’t have teased me if I’d let you all know from the start?” Tim didn’t believe that for a moment. That was why he’d hidden it. He’d known he’d never hear the end of it if his team found out. And he hadn’t!

“Not at all.” Tony leaned closer, to whisper in Tim’s ear and come uncomfortably close to his neck. “You’d have gotten teased. How could you not. But by hiding, you made it obvious you were embarrassed. By lying, you made it clear you had something to be ashamed of.” Tony straightened. “Own your choices, elflord, or forever have them thrown in your face.”

Tim filed that away to think about later. For now, he had a perfect comeback. “So, does that mean the fact that you’ve been hiding this new girlfriend mean you’re embarrassed by her? Or your new found preference for commitment?” 

Yep. Bulls-eye. Tony paled, then reddened, and his eyes dropped to his shoes. “Nice one, McGoo.” A pat on Tim’s shoulder supported the impression of a compliment and tried to hide how close Tim got to the mark. Which he almost felt bad about. But it had been a shit day and Tony had been going for gold the entire time. “Now finish your report.”

Tim turned back to his screen and started typing. Yeah, he could do this. And next time he wouldn’t try hiding so much from his pack.


End file.
